Kristi Noem Senate hearing testimony turned into a pointed fight over whether the Department of Homeland Security is cooperating with its own watchdog. A recent inspector general letter to Congress said DHS has “systematically” obstructed oversight and listed 11 separate examples where investigators said they were blocked from information or records needed for reviews.
One dispute described in the letter involved a federal criminal investigation with national security implications. The inspector general alleged DHS set access conditions that would compromise the investigation, including requirements that could expose sensitive details to parties who might be implicated. DHS officials countered that the inspector general had not provided enough detail to justify access to certain classified databases.
In the Kristi Noem Senate hearing, Sen. Thom Tillis cited the inspector general letter, criticized DHS leadership, and called for Noem to resign.
